Golf practice scoring device



July l, 1.941.

R. J. JENKS ETAL GOLF PRACTICE SCORING DEVICE Filed June 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N ENToR` July 1, 1941.

R. J. JENKS ETAL GOLF PRACTICE SCORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1940 Patented July 1, 1941 GOLF PRACTICE SCORING DEVCE Ransaeller J. Jenks and William F. Giibert, Lewiston, Idaho 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus and more particularlyto a golf practice scoring device, it being one object of the invention to provide a device of this character adapted to be set up at a predetermined distance from a driving station and constitute a target at which golf balls are driven, the target being of such construction that when it is hit by a golf ball it will be actuated to indicate the distance the golf ball would have been driven in actual play.

Another object of the invention is to provide a target consisting of a plurality of sections adapted to be shifted out of their normal positions when struck by a golf ball and actuate a scoring device to indicate the number of yards the golf ball would have traveled without striking the target.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the sections of the target are arranged in rows extending horizontally and vertically in an upright frame and each includes in its construction a housing and a face plate urged forwardly to its normal position and adapted to be shifted rearwardly when struck by aigolf ball and exert pull on a line for shifting a scoring card to a position indicating the length of a drive.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the face plates that they may move easily in their housings when struck by a golf` ball and returned to their normal positions after shifting a scoring card to an adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is 'to so mount the frame in which the target sections are mounted that it will be yieldably held upright but may be shifted rearwardly to absorb shocks when one of the target vsections or members is struck by a golf ball.

Another object of the invention is to'provide an improved scoring device wherein a score card is shifted vertically in a box-like frame carrying a latch for releasably holding the card in adjusted position when shifted upwardly to indicate the length of a drive, means being provided for releasing tlie latch from a distance and there also being provided means for returning the card to a lowered position when released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein electrical means may be provided for indicating the distance a golf ball is driven.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken vertically on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking at the front of the score card and its housing.

Fig. 4 is a perspective vView looking at the rear of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View showing a fragment. of the target in front elevation.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View looking at the back of one of the target members.

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary view showing a side portion of Fig. 6 with the rear wall removed.

Fig.`8 is a View partly diagrammatic and partly in section, of a modied form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional View of the modified form of the invention.

This improved registering device is for use on a practice golf course or at an amusement resort, and includes in its construction a frame l having side bars, and upper and lower cross bars, the

lower cross bar 2 being spaced upwardly from lower ends of the side bars so that the lower portions of the side bars constitute legs having base bars i at their lower ends with which they are pivotally connected by brackets 5 located midway the length of the base bars. Bracing bars B extend at an upward incline from iront and rear ends of the base bars and, at their inner ends, are secured to ends of an elongated yoke 'l extending horizontally about the frame l and of such dimensions that the frame may have tilting movement within the yoke. Other braces 8 extend diagonally between the legs and the lower cross bar. Resilient means has been-provided for yieldably holding the frame in upright position but permit rearward tilting thereof and return of the frame to its initial upright position. In order to do so, there is provided at each end of the yoke a plunger 6 in the form of a bolt which slidably passes through the rear bar of the yoke and is eld against the adjacent leg of the frame l by a spring it. It will thus be seen that when the targets carried by the frame are struck by a ygolf ball the frame may swing rearwardly to a limited extent and then return to its initial position. Therefore, the target will not be damaged by the force of blows delivered by a hard driven golf ball.

Within the frame are mounted a number of targets ll which are arranged in rows extending horizontally and vertically in the frame and in front o the frame is disposed a screen l2 formed of canvas and rods or posts I3 which are disposed vertically with their lower portions embedded in the ground. Portions of thescreen in iront of the targets are marked with consecutive numbers extending in a circular path from the center of the screen and the frame to a lower corner of the frame. The screen covers the target, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and a person at the driving station attempts to hit the target i at the center of the screen as a golf ball so driven would go straight down the fairway toward the green and at the proper angle for along drive. The screen and the target carrying frame back of it are preferably set up about twenty feet from the driving station but it is to be understood that this distance may be varied if desired.

Each of the targets H consists of a housing I4 formed of metal or other suitable material and having a rear wall l 5 which is open, as shown in Fig. 6, and has an integrally formed cross strip I6 midway of its height. This strip or bridge I6 is formed with a center opening Il through which passes a plunger I8 carried by a socket i9 at the center of the front wall 20 of the housing. A spring 2l which is coiled about the plunger, urges the plunger and the front wall forwardly to the normal position shown in Fig. 2, and in order to limit this forward movement of the wall and the plunger there has been provided a stop collar 22 which is fixedly secured about the plunger back of the bridge strip l5. By properly setting the collar on the plunger, forward movement of the front wall may be limited and the front wall caused to assume predetermined relation to the front of the housing. Flanges 23 extend rearwardly from margins of the front wall and are formed with openings 2d through which extend rollers 25 which bear against side walls of the housing and cause the front wall to slide easily in the housing. The front walls of the targets are shifted rearwardly into their housings and, in order to protectthem Vfrom damage by the orcetof balls driven against them, each front wall carries a facing pad 25 formed of sponge rubber or the like, which absorbs the force of blows and prevents the front wall from being dented and bent out of shape. A bracket 2'! is secured at the rear end of each plunger and is formed with a depending ear 28 to which is secured one end of a cable 29. The cables are trained about pulleys 3i] carried by the strips it and are then carried downwardly lfor engagement with pulleys 3l, after which they are brought forwardly and connected with recording devices 3l which are arranged in a row in side by side relation to each other between the braces ii extending between the yoke 'i and the front ends of the base bars li.

The recording devices are of duplicate construction and each is of the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Referring to these figures, it will be seen that each scoring device has a boxlike casing or housing 32 which is formed of sheet metal. The case 32 is open at its top and formed with a rear opening 33. A score card 3d, which is also formed of sheet metal, is slidably received in the case 3?. and, at its upper end, is formed with a rearwardly extending ear Sii to which the companion cable 2Q is secured. A spring 36, formed from a strand of resilient wire, has one end secured to the ear 35 and its other end anchored to a bracket 3l carried by the case 32 adjacent the lower end of the rear wall thereof. This spring exerts downward pull on the Vscore card and yieldably holds the card in retracted position within the case but permits the card to be drawn upwardly out ofthe case and expose scoring marks 38 upon the front face of the card, as shown in Fig. 3. When the ball strikes a target and drives the front wall inwardly or rearwardly, the plunger of this wall moves rearwardly with it and exerts pull on the companion cable 29 so that the card of the companion recording device will be shifted upwardly a distance sunicient to expose either the yard mark, the 200 yard mark, or the 300 yard mark, according to the force with which the ball strikes the target. A side edge of the card is notched to form a rack 38 which is engaged by a pawl 38 pivoted to a side edge Wall of the case 32 and as the card is shifted upwardly. it will be held in raised position by the pawl until the pawl is moved to releasing position. As each scoring device is connected with a companion target by a cable 29, a player may drive a number of balls from the driving station and the distance eac'h ball would have traveled will be shown on the cards of the recorders associated with the targets struck by the balls. After all the balls have been driven and the scores noted, the score cards are to b-e returned to their retracted positions within the cases. To accomplish this, there has been provided a pull cord or cable i0 which extends back of the recorders and has one end secured to a spring di. The pull cord passes through'ears i2 of the pawls 39 and when pull is exerted on this cord or cable, the pawls will all be moved to releasing position and the score cards will be drawn downwardly into the cases -by the springs 35. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the pull cord extends forwardly from the end recorder to a post d3 where it is carried upwardly in engagement with pulleys ld and 425 and connected with a handle d6 by means of which pull is exerted when the latches are to be moved to releasing position. The post is located near the driving station where the handle may be easily reached by the player or an attendant. n

In Figs. 8 and 9 there has been illustrated a modified form of target. In this embodiment, the targets each has a back plate 41 carrying a bag i8 formed of rubber and inflated through aY valve controlled infiating stem i9 of the type used on bicycle tires. This bag is of comparatively flat rectangular form corresponding in dimensions to the targets i l. A spring 50 is mounted in the bag centrally thereof to aid in holding the bag distended and, at its center, the rear wall of the bag is formed with a neck 5l extending rearwardly through an opening in the rear wall fil' and through a socket 52 carried by the rear wall. This socket carries a cylinder 53 which has a piston 56.* 'operating therein the neck establishes communication between the bag and the front end of the cylinder. When the 4bag is struck by a golf ball, air is forced through the neck into the cylinder and the piston 5d and its rod 5S are forced rearwardly in opposition to action of the spring 57 which normally holds the piston at the front end of the cylinder, as shown in 9. Openings 5S are formed through the cap 5i? closing the rear end of the cylinder in order to allow the piston to slide rearwardly without interference by an air cushion in the rear end portion of the cylinder. A collar constituting a movable bridging contact, is secured aboutthe outer rear end portion of the piston rod 56 for bridging pairs of stationary contacts 6| mounted through a block of insulation S2 which is secured to the cylinder by screws S3 land projects rearwardly from the cylinder. Pairs of conductors 64 lead from power lines d5 to the pairs of terminal contacts 6i and one of Y and the bore 55 of each pair oi conductors 64 has a branch wire 66 latches for releasably retaining said members in leading to an electric light bulb, the bulbs being set positions, and means for shifting the latches indicated by the numerals 61, 68 and B9 and all to release said members'and allow return thereof connected with the ground wire 1B. It will be to their normal positions.v

readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 9, 5 3. In a golf practice scoring device, a frame, that when `the bag of a target is struck by a golf targets mounted in said frame, each target comm ball the piston will be forced rearwardly a disprising a housing open at its front, a front Wall tance controlled by the force with which air is for the housing slidable therein, a stern extendforced from the bag into the cylinder of the ing rearwardly from the front wall through the target. As the piston and its rod move rearl() rear of the housing, a spring urging the front wardly, the collar 60 will successively bridge the wall forwardly, cables connected with rear ends pairs of contacts El and the light 61 will first be of the stems of said targets and extending downlighted, then the light 68 and then the light 69. wardly therefrom, a plurality of recorders corre- Light @l indicates a drive of 100 yards, light 63 spending in number to the targets and arranged a drive of '0 yards, and light 69 indicates a 15 in a row in front of and below the frame, each drive of 300 yards. It will thus be seen that an recorder comprising a casing open at one end, a electric signal may be employed instead of the score card slidable in the casing and movable score cardpreviously described. through the open end thereof to an exposed posi- Having thus described the invention, what is tion, each card having the cable of a companion claimed is: 20 target secured thereto for drawing the card to 1. In a golf practice scoring device, a frame exposed position when the front wall of the having side posts, a target carried by said frame, target is struck by a driven golf ball, a latch base bars, lower ends of the side posts being carried by each casing for holding the score card pivoted to the base bars intermediate ends therein eXIJOSed DOSoll, and meeflS OI mOVIlg the of with portions of the base bars extending forlatehes t0 releasing pOStOIlwardly and rearwardly from the posts, an elon- 4- l e golf Daote SCOllg deVCe, a frame, gated yoke extending horizontally with the posts targets mounted il Seid frame and eeeh heVIlg passing vertically through its end portions, brace movelloe front Well yeldebly held against Teering bars extending diagonally between the yoke Werd movement and e Stem eXteIldIlg from 011e and the base bars to hold the yoke Stationary front wall rearwardly of the target, a plurality means conned between the posts and the rear 0f Scoring del/'ieee Corresponding in number 130 portion of the yoke for yeldably resisting rearthe targets and arrangedv in a transverse extendwardly tilting of the frame when the target is mg TOW in from? of and belOW the frame, eeeh struck by a driven golf ball, and means actuated Scofmg device Comprising a' Casing Open aft IS from the target for indicating the approximate up?? end a' Score Card Sndable in the Casing and distance a driven bau would travel without srrikh evme e Teck alone 011e Side edge, e leh Cer- -mg the target. ried by the cas1ng and engaglng the rack to re- 2' In a golf practice Scoring device a frame leasably hold the card in exposed position, `an targets mounted in said frame, each target cornea? extendmg rearwardly from the upper end 0f prsing a housing Open at its from, a from Wan 40 said card, a spring anchored to the casing and for the housing slidable therein, a stern extendnnected Wifi? th? @sfr to return the Card t0 ing rearwardly from the front Wan through the retracted position within the casing, cables conrear of the housing a Spring urging the from necting the stems of said targets with the ears Wan forwardly, recorders Corresponding in mum of the score cards of companion scoring devices, ber to the targets and each having a movable and a pull cord extending transversely of the member for indicating the approximate distance Soong devices rearwardly theleof and Connected a driven golf ball would travel without striking a With the latoheS OF moving the leilCheS t0 releastarget, cables connecting the movable members ing position When the P1111 00rd iS pulled in 011e with the stems of companion targets for causing direction. setting of said members when the front walls RANSAELLER J. JENKS.

are shifted rearwardly by struck golf balls, WILLIAM F. GILBERT. 

